The US Department of Defense agreed to source renewable power from two new solar farms for five military bases in the Carolinas.
The Department of Defense (DoD) announced a “first-of-its-kind partnership” with Duke Energy today to power five military installations in North and South Carolina with clean electricity.
DoD will exclusively purchase 100% of the power from the 135-megawatt solar farms in South Carolina. The $248 million contract will provide an estimated 4.8 million megawatt hours of clean power over 15 years. The partnership is expected to be online by September 2026.
It’s part of Duke Energy’s Green Source Advantage program, which helps large nonresidential customers offset their power purchases by securing renewable energy from projects connected to Duke Energy’s grid. Customers are credited for the solar farm’s power against the energy purchased from the grid.
Duke Energy’s new solar farms in South Carolina will power five military installations in North and South Carolina: US Army Fort Liberty, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina, and Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina.
Rachel Jacobson, assistant secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy, and Environment, said, “Our continuing collaboration with Duke Energy allows the Army to contribute to a more reliable commercial grid that strengthens the resilience of the defense communities where our soldiers, military families, and civilians live.”
DoD says it’s “delivering on President Biden’s goal to power the federal government with 100% clean energy by 2030.” Participating in the Duke Energy GSA program is one of DOD’s first major clean energy initiatives.
Read more: The US Army just launched the largest floating solar farm in the Southeast – why this is a big deal
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